The secret between Woods and Federer.

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The secret between Woods and Federer.
by John Pages
Matchpoint

Roger and Tiger. Tiger and Roger. Don’t they sound the same? They sure act the same. Win the same. Roger is No.1; Tiger is above No. 2. They’re twins. Roger stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 177 pounds, Tiger is an inch taller and three pounds heavier. Their T-shirts have the same logo. You know the ones with the check mark?

Last Sunday, the brothers reached the finals. They were in opposite ends of the earth. Roger was Down Under in Australia, while Tiger was down in San Diego, California.

The result? The same. They were down, then up. Twins. They’re twins, remember?

Let me prove it.

LOSE. Roger. In the Australian Open finals against Marcos Baghdatis, Roger was ready to lose. He lost the first set, 5-7, and was 0-2 and a break point down in the second set. Had Baghdatis won that crucial point, Roger would have been the bridesmaid. But he didn’t. Next thing “The Pirate” knew, “The Master and the Commander” had won 18 of the next 23 games.

Tiger. In the Buick Invitational, Tiger was all set to lose. After Day One, he played so bad the critics wrote he’d miss the cut after Day Two. Tiger hung on. He prowled. In the final day, he trailed, same with the final 18th hole. He had to birdie. Did he? Of course.

Roger is younger at 24. He’s at his peak. Last year, he won 81 matches and lost only four. Not bad, huh? He captured two majors: one in England (Wimbledon) and another in America (the US Open) and increased his bank account by $6,137,018.

The older twin? Tiger turned 30 last Dec. 30. In ‘05, he won six official money events on the PGA Tour. Tiger won two majors: one in England (the British Open) and another in America (The Masters) and increased his bank account so much that he celebrated by buying a $40 million oceanfront Florida mansion.

Roger. This early on, this tennis star has been hailed as one of the best ever. But to lay claim to that title, he knows he’s got to beat Pete Sampras, who owns the record 14 major titles. Roger has seven. He’s got seven to go.

Tiger? He’s right up there. But to be “The Greatest,” he’s got to surpass Jack Nicklaus and his record 18 major titles. Tiger has 10. He’s got eight more to tie.

Roger is not the world’s No.1. He’s the world’s No.1 BY FAR! Read the ATP Tour rankings: (1.) Federer 7275 (2.) Nadal 4615 (3.) Roddick 2785 (4.) Nalbandian 2570 (5.) Ljubicic 2395. See how far Roger stands above the field? Against No.2 Nadal, he beats him up by a whopping 57 percent.

His bro, Tiger? The golf rankings: (1.) Woods 16.46 (2.) Singh 9.91 (3.) Goosen 7.98 (4.) Mickelson 7.61 (5.) Els 7.25. Embarrassing for the rest of the field. Against Vijay, he’s up 66 percent. Amazing.

HELP. More on Roger? Sure. The Roger Federer Foundation was started in December 2003. Its goals include funding projects (primarily in South Africa) that benefit disadvantaged children.

Any help from the twin? The Tiger Woods Foundation was established in 1996 by Tiger Woods and his father Earl. It focuses on projects for children, including golf clinics aimed especially at disadvantaged children.

Roger attempts a Tiger. Later this May at the French Open, Roger has the chance to win his fourth major in a row. If he does, this achievement will be nicknamed “The Roger Slam.”

His brother Tiger did that in 2000-2001 when he became the only player ever to hold all four majors at once (although this did not occur in a calendar year, and is not recognized as a true Grand Slam). The achievement has been nicknamed “The Tiger Slam.”

The Roger Slam, the Tiger Slam. The foundation for disadvantaged children. The T-shirt logo. One is No.1, the other is above No.2.

Didn’t I tell you they were twins?

SOURCE: Sun Star Daily Cebu

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